Variable Charges...

How about introducing variable membership charges. I know $20 is nothing to the Welsh, Americans, Scots and Irish but it's pretty steep if you're from Romania or Iraq. I'd love to be competing against someone other than Americans in the tourneys and clan games so how about a cheaper membership for people living in poorer countries?

As long as it doesn't stop Americans, French and English joining then suurely it's better to get an extra 20 people paying $1 each than for them all to remain non members.

I think this is a good idea, but there could be a problem for Russ in working out whether someone really comes from the country they claim to.

If this problem could be solved, there could even be some 'rich country' players who would be willing to subsidise players from Romania, Sierra Leone or wherever.

Another problem...the $20 is determined by the cost of the increased traffic a subscriber generates over a non-suscriber.

Sponsors is a nice idea though. Then you just hit the question of whether or not they need a sponsor or just want a free ride.

Then you've got the problem of poor people in a first-world nation v.s. rich people in a third-world nation.....

It's a nice gesture, though.